Instructions

ZOOM IN by clicking on the page. A slider will appear, allowing you to adjust your zoom level. Return to the original size by clicking on the page again.

MOVE the page around when zoomed in by dragging it.

ADJUST the zoom using the slider on the top right.

ZOOM OUT by clicking on the zoomed-in page.

SEARCH by entering text in the search field and click on "In This Issue" or "All Issues" to search the current issue or the archive of back issues
respectively.
.

PRINT by clicking on thumbnails to select pages, and then press the
print button.

SHARE this publication and page.

ROTATE PAGE allows you to turn pages 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise.Click on the page to return to the original orientation. To zoom in on a rotated page, return the page to its original orientation, zoom in, and
then rotate it again.

CONTENTS displays a table of sections with thumbnails and descriptions.

ALL PAGES displays thumbnails of every page in the issue. Click on
a page to jump.

Unprecedented growth in demand for luxury
travel in Australia and the Pacific has seen
AccorHotels significantly expand its luxury and
upscale hotel network, with the latest addition
being Queensland Sunshine Coast's premier
property, Sheraton Noosa.
The hotel re-branded to Sofitel Noosa Pacific
Resort on 13 June (see p22), increasing the group's
luxury and upscale portfolio to 35 hotels including
nine Sofitel luxury hotels and resorts, 15 Pullman
hotels and resorts and 11 boutique hotels in the
MGallery by Sofitel collection. A further six luxury
or upscale hotels are currently under construction.
AccorHotels' portfolio of luxury and upscale
hotels is set to grow even faster with the
completion of its acquisition of FRHI and its
three emblematic brands -- Fairmont, Ra es and
Swissotel -- which will further reinforce the group's
presence in the luxury segment across the region
and in Asia and, particularly, North America,
according to AccorHotels Chief Operating
O cer -- Pacific, Simon McGrath.
He said the group had identified strong growth
for luxury travel five years ago and deliberately
steered its development priorities towards the
upper end of the market.
"We now have 80% of our Pacific development
pipeline in the top end of the market, and 60%
of these new developments are with existing
partners," McGrath said.
"A large percentage of the Chinese FIT and
incentive market will only select 5- or 4-star
accommodation, a trend which has changed
dramatically in less than a decade.
"In addition, the American inbound market
into Australia has reached unprecedented
heights, with leading US luxury travel group,
Virtuoso, identifying Australia as one of its
fastest growing markets.
"We are also seeing soaring demand for luxury
and upscale accommodation from south east Asia,
Japan, India and Europe.
"An important emerging trend in the top-end
of the travel market is that travellers want di ering
styles of 5-star accommodation, which is why we
have diversified our luxury/upscale o er.
"Some want larger, more 'international' style
upscale hotels, which we satisfy with our Sofitel
and Pullman brands. While others -- particularly
millennial travellers -- are looking for more
distinctive, individual, boutique experiences, and
that is why we have expanded our MGallery by
Sofitel brand so rapidly.
"The signing of Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort is a
strategic addition to our luxury portfolio, with Noosa
a prized international and domestic resort destination,
and over the next two years we will launch a record
number of landmark new-build projects such as
Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour, Sofitel Adelaide,
Sofitel So Auckland and Pullman Trinity Point Resort.
"We expect to see the pace of high-end
hotel developments continuing, and with well-
established development partners, we believe
there will be many other opportunities to expand
the luxury and upscale market in the years to
come," McGrath said.
ACCORHOTELS ON TRACK FOR SIGNIFICANT GROWTH
An artist's impression of
Pullman Trinity Point Resort
The NSW Planning Assessment Commission has approved,
subject to a number of substantial modifications and conditions,
the applications for the modification of the approved concept
plan for Barangaroo ('Mod 8') and for the construction of the
Crown Sydney Hotel Resort at Barangaroo South.
"While it has been a long and detailed process, we
are pleased with the overall outcome and we're deeply
committed to building a six-star hotel resort that
Sydneysiders and all Australians can be proud of," said
Crown Resorts' Chairman, Robert Rankin.
"For too long Sydney has su ered from a lack of luxury
tourism accommodation and Crown Sydney will help turn that
around. We will now move quickly to begin excavation work. We
are expecting to complete construction and open in early 2021."
Crown's Chief Executive O cer, Rowen Craigie, added:
"We are pleased that the NSW Planning Assessment
Commission has given the green light for this important
piece of tourism infrastructure to go ahead.
"Everyone at Crown is looking forward to commencing
construction of Sydney's first six-star hotel resort," he said.
The Mod 8 and Crown Sydney applications have been
approved subject to a number of substantial modifications
and conditions which are currently being reviewed by Crown.
Crown Sydney gets conditional
planning approval from Gov't
An artist's impression of Crown Sydney
hotelmanagement.com.au 19
Development